Reap what you SOW

AS THE WEATHER WARMS IT'S TIME TO POP YOUR SEEDS INTO THE SOIL AND GIVE NATURE A HAND

- DAVID DOMONEY

MARCH is the month when allotments and vegetable patches across the country come alive. Longer daylight hours create better conditions. All seeds need is moisture, warmth and light -nature will do the rest. So start sowing your own easy varieties this month.

Seeds come in many sizes. Fine seeds, like tomatoes, can be thinly scattered straight from the packet. Also, you can mix them with dry sand in your hand before sprinkling them on to the seed tray. As they have lower germination rates than larger seeds, your chances of success are improved.

Large seeds, such as cucumbers and pumpkins, have a flat seed structure and are sown on their sides. This enables the first shoot to conserve energy and grow straight towards the surface. For precise seed sowing like this, sow them one at a time.